School-slate and ruler th erefor



(No Model.)

M. W. FLEMING & 0'. LE SAUVAGE. SCHOOL SLATE AND RULER THEREFOR. No.383,945. Patented June 5-, 1888. jg].

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I "was: I INVENTQRi ATTORNEYS.

N. FEIERS. PMW-Liuwgnmr. Washington. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAYBURY V. FLEMING,

OF NEW BRIGHTON, AND CHARLES R. LE SAUVAGE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SCHOOL-SLATE AND RULER'THEREFOR SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 383,945, dated June 5, 1888.

. Application filed August 5, 1887. Serial No. 246,203. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MAYBURY W. FLEM- ING, of New Brighton, in thecounty of Richmond and State of New York, and CHARLES Ross LE SAUVAGE,of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have in-Vented a new and useful Improvement in Slates, of which the following isa full, clear,

and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in the class of slates having astraightedge or ruler, which may be moved or slid over its surface.

The construction and combination of parts are as hereinafter described.

:5 Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of aslate having our improvementapplied. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line or 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is also a transverse section on line at x of Fig. 1, illustrating theside uppermost opposite to that presented in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is apartial longitudinal section.

In carrying outthe invention the side frames, A, of the slate B areprovided at their inner edges above the surface of the slate with alongitudinal groove, a, and either the lower 0 or upper end piece of theframe, or both, are also provided in like manner with a groove, 12,which groove is preferably shaped to correspond with the contour of theupper longitudinal edge surface, the ruler adapted for use 5 inconnection with the slate. The groove 1) maybe omitted, however, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

In further carrying outtheinvention,a ruler, B, is employed, of a lengthslightly greater than the length or breadth of the slate within theframe, according to the manner in which the ruler is to be used. Theends of the ruler are provided with a transverse rabbet, b, in the upperface, whereby a lip, h is produced,

'and the under surface of the ruler from a point near each end istransversely and longitudinally cutaway, as at If, to form the reducedbearing-surface d.

In operation the lips I) of the ruler are entered the grooves or ways a,as shown in Fig. 1, the reduced surfaces 02 bearing upon the slate. Theruler may now be manipulated up or down without danger of dropping fromthe face of the slate, and when the end grooves,

b, are employed the ruler may, if not in use, be carried down andpressed into said groove 1), as shown in Fig. 4, whereby it is held inengagement with the slate out of the way and in position for immediateuse.

It will be observed that owing to the slight 6o bearing of the rulerupon the slate any drawing, lettering, or writing thereon will not beelfaced or disfigured by the passage of the ruler up and down. The framemay be pro vided with grooves above each surface of the slate.

When it is desired to use the ruler upon the plain side, it is reversedand the rabbeted surface is made to rest upon the inner side edge of theframe, as shown in Fig. 3, which forms a guide in the use of the rulerand elevates it above the surface of the slate. To permit such reversalof the ruler it is obviously necessary that its corners shall be roundedor cut off, so that one of its ends may be turned out of the 7 groove.

It is obvious that the slate-frame may be grooved either upon the sides,or at bottom and top, or both.

The ruler may be attached in the manner described, or in any mannerwhich is essentially merely a modification of this method, to any slateor similar utensil which is used in schools or places of instruction, orby professional or amateur draftsmen, and the like, who 85 use suchutensils for drawing or mathematical or trade calculations.

The ruler may be made of wood, orof metal, or of both, or of anymaterial or combination of material, and the said ruler maybe marked orgraded, or shaped (straight, or curved, or with angles) to suit anypurpose of instruction, or drawing, or measuring.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Lett 95 ters Patent, is

1. The combination,with a slate, and a frame attached thereto providedwith grooves in the inner edges above the surfaee'of the slate, of abearing-surfaces upon the under side at the ruler having rabbeted endsadapted to slidein ends only for use, as set forth. said grooves, and acentrally-recessed under MAYBURY \V. FLEMING. surface whereby abearingsurface is provided CHARLES R. LE SAUVAGE. 5 at the ends only,substantially as set forth. Witnesses:

2. Arulerfor slates, provided Withrabbeted GEO. H. FLEMING, ends, acentrally-recessed undersurfnce, and BENJ. NORTHROP.

